The Chance
by monotask007
Summary: Screams echo throughout the ship as the loss of Spike hits the crew of the Bebop. different from my usual fics, but I think you'll still enjoy it. read and review.


Author Note: This fic was inspired by the song Against All Odds (Take a Look At Me Now) By Phil Collins. I love this song and every time I hear it I get all these visuals in my head. One day the visuals included the characters in Cowboy Bebop. This is the result. And I'd like to thank a very good friend and fic writer (you know who you are) for helping me kick out a few bugs.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop or Against All Odds. I do however own Phil Collins; I bought his soul for five dollars on Ebay. Just kidding. Enjoy the fic.  
  
The Chance  
  
Jet rubbed at his sleep filled eyes as he pushed the door of his room open. The loud clang the door made as it connected with the metal wall sent a ripple of pain through his already sleep deprived, pounding head. His eyes were protesting the idea of opening, yet he forced one to oblige him as he stepped out into the cold, barely lit hallway. He brought his metallic arm up and placed his bionic hand at the base of his skull. He rubbed the tight muscles in hopes that this one act would alleviate some of the built up pressure. He let out a loud sigh as he found the rubbing only caused the pounding to grow. He growled as he began his slow going journey down the hallway towards the kitchen.  
  
He kept his one arm braced against the wall supporting him. He flat out refused to use the cane anymore. That only served as a reminder, and the last thing he needed was another reminder of the events of last week. In fact he gave up on the cane just yesterday. The day he decided to get his life back.  
  
His eyes were still protesting against him being awake, yet as he reached the door to the kitchen and stepped through, his eyes went wide. His head snapped up and he put his head back out into the hallway. The sound of a muffled scream filled the air, originating somewhere deep in the dark corridors of the Bebop. Its been going on for a while now, never so angered or so alone. It was a scream that now haunted the ship, a ghost burdening her soul. Jet shook his head and entered the kitchen still rubbing at the sleep in his eyes.  
  
He rubbed so hard that small black dots filled his vision. When it finally returned to normal his eyes landed on the sink, and his head began to shake. Grabbing a stained towel from a hook on the wall and slinging it on his shoulder, he turned on the water. For a couple of seconds he stood there, watching as the water circled down the drain. Two cups from yesterday afternoon and a single plate from the evening's dinner stared back at him. A smirk snaked its way across his face and he couldn't really explain why. Instead of the water, the sound of plates clattering into the sink filled his ears. In his mind he saw a sink filled to the brim with plates, his dirty frying pan and more glasses than he thought he owned. The water hardly ever ran directly down the drain. Instead when you turned on the water it was like watching a small fountain. The water would run down and fill the frying pan, and then run over onto the plates. Some of the water finding its resting place in the base of the sink and then down the drain. But most often the water ran down the plates and splattered on to the floor, making a nice playground for Ed.  
  
In his mind he could see Ed flinging herself across the wet floor, screaming with joy. Jet absent-mindedly moved away from the sink as he remembered the one-day in which she had run into his legs at full force. Shaking his head at himself Jet turned the water off. The dishes could wait. He turned around at the sound of yet another muffled sound but this time it sounded more like laughter than a scream. Jet walked towards the common room and stood in the doorway. He leaned on the cold metal and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked into the empty room. The dark room lit only by the stars that leapt by the large window to the left. His eyes rested on the yellow couch, and the empty space.  
  
Suddenly the room filled with light and Spike was sitting on the couch his knees bent, elbows resting on his thighs. His long lanky fingers putting a cigarette in his mouth and bringing a lighter out.  
  
"Hey, Jet," Spike said a small smile playing on his lips. "What are the three things I hate again?"  
  
"Jesus, Spike," Jet said coming out of the kitchen wiping his hands dry with his stained towel. "Are you gonna give me this same quiz every day now?" Jet walked into the room and stood before Spike, throwing the towel over his shoulder.  
  
"Dogs." Spike said getting another cigarette from his pack and handing it over to his friend. Jet rolled his eyes and took the cigarette. "Kids." Spike said as Jet bent down towards his lighter. "And Women."  
  
"Gee really?" Jet said standing up, the cigarette bouncing on his lips. "This is the first I've heard of it." Jet snorted out, a smile sneaking across his rough face. Spike laughed.  
  
"This ship of yours is going to hell, Jet old boy." Spike said leaning back on the couch, his hands going behind his head as his eyes began to watch the ceiling fan above. Jet tilted his head back to look at the fan, and watch the long lines of smoke get chopped in half.  
  
"Yeah, it is." Jet said with a chuckle. "In yellow leather." Both men started laughing.  
  
The light shifted again, and Jet's gaze along with it. Spike was laying on the couch a magazine over his eyes, hands comfortably behind his head. A cigarette was poking out of the bottom of the magazine. Faye came storming in Ed hot on her heels, Ein sitting on top of Ed's head.  
  
"Oh boy," Spike mumbled under the magazine, the bobbing of the cigarette the only thing giving away him as the speaker of the words. Jet snorted from his seat across from Spike. His eyes were too busy looking for their next bounty to look over at them.  
  
"Leave me alone!" Faye yelled at Ed who was pulling at her shirt and giggling. Ein jumped off of Ed's head and onto Spike's stomach causing him to sit up right and spit his cigarette at Faye. "Dammitt, Lunkhead!" Faye yelled as the cigarette burned her arm. She then brushed herself off and picked up the cigarette. She shook it a little and then placed it in her mouth as she swatted Ed's hands off of her. Ed gave a disgruntled yip as she did cartwheels into the kitchen.  
  
"Hey that's mine." Spike said as Faye walked up behind Jet to look over his shoulder.  
  
"Well you shouldn't have spit it at me then." Faye said letting out a puff of smoke in Spike's direction.  
  
"Wench." Spike muttered as he put the magazine on the table and sat up fully on the couch. Ein had jumped down and was now sitting right by Jet's leg.  
  
"All right you too." Jet said stopping Faye's next remark. "I think I've got us a nice little one here." Faye leaned in, and Spike moved closer to the screen from his perch on the couch. Jet gave a grunt of approval at finally having their full attention.  
  
"His name is Bob. And he is not a very good boy." Jet began telling them.  
  
"Bob?" Faye said with smile as she removed the cigarette from her mouth. Spike leaned forward quickly and stole the cigarette, smiling as he sat back down.  
  
"Just Bob? That's all you got?" Spike said sending a puff of smoke out at Faye with a smile. Faye's mouth moved but Jet couldn't tell what she said to Spike. Whatever it was Spike looked stunned for a second but then busted up laughing. Faye snarled.  
  
"Are you two going to let me finish the run down or what?" Jet asked eyeing the two of them.  
  
"Nope." Spike said standing up and heading into the kitchen.  
  
"Yeah, just tell us where we're going. We don't really care what he did, as long as the price is right." Faye said rubbing her fingers together in the international money signal. Jet rolled his eyes.  
  
"My partners." Jet said with a laugh.  
  
"You know that's the first time you've said that." Faye said looking up from the magazine she picked up off the table. Jet caught her eye.  
  
"She's right." Spike said coming into the room again, holding an orange. Faye's eyes caught on the orange and her brain instinctively told her that she too must have what Spike had. Spike saw the look on her face and brought the orange closer to him. "Get your own, Wench."  
  
Faye stood up throwing the magazine down, as she passed the back of Jet's chair she patted it. "What's with the sudden partner talk?"  
  
"Dunno." Jet shrugged. "We've been together a while now. We're becoming like a family."  
  
"Some idea of family you got there, old man." Spike said watching Faye get closer to him. "But I can see what you mean." Faye stopped and turned to face Jet.  
  
"So are you the father in this little family Jetty-boy?" Faye gave him a grin.  
  
"I was thinking the handsome older brother who owns the house, and pays all the bills for his ungrateful younger siblings." Ein barked. "And the dog." Jet said patting him on the head.  
  
Spike and Faye both looked at him and started laughing, and soon Jet was joining in. It wasn't long before Ed was also laughing as she swung from the rafters into the room.  
  
Soon the light was gone again, and Jet found himself still standing in the dark doorway between the two rooms.  
  
It was exactly a week ago yesterday that Spike had left to fight his final battle with his past. It had ended the little family that they had going, and drove the ship into the dark ghostly shadow of what it once was. Jet shook his head as he limped into the room and sat in his chair. He heard again the muffled scream, no longer did it sound like laughter. Instead it turned back into the long and sad howl of a person whose heart was still aching. Jet hadn't remembered making that sound, at least not out loud. But Faye, it's seemed that was all she could do. Her heart was aching and it was her screams that now haunted the halls of his ship. After a full week of the yelling, the depression, the screaming and the crying, Jet had decided it was time to move on. And he told Faye. She had a choice, she could either move on, or keep on crying. If she chose the latter she was to leave the ship tonight. He put the towel over his eyes and placed his hands behind his head. It was his best attempt yet to block out the memories of the days gone by. He closed his eyes as another scream filled the air.  
  
  
  
**************  
  
Faye stood in the hallway that led to the hangar bay, she didn't know how long she had been there. It was as though time ceased to exist there. Her fists were clenched as she rammed them to her mouth again, screaming into them. She didn't even know why she was screaming anymore, it just seemed like the only thing to do. Her anger and feelings she couldn't even describe were pushing in on her head, and screaming seemed like the only release.  
  
You would think her voice would be gone now but every day it seemed to get stronger. She rammed her back into the wall, her arms going to her sides and banging off of the wall behind her. How dare Jet tell her to suck it up or get off the ship!? How dare he! What was she supposed to do, just walk down the halls as if nothing happened. Forget Spike was ever here. Maybe it was easy for Jet, but she wasn't like Jet. She had feelings. She squeezed her hands shut tight feeling her finger nails dig into her skin. The stinging sensation as the flesh broke releasing a fresh wave of red from her palms. She banged her head into the wall.  
  
Jet wasn't taking this any better than she was. Up at all hours of the night, limping around the ship with his cane. She had spotted him numerous times in the past week as he threw the cane against a wall, splintering off small pieces of wood. He would often stand in doorways between rooms and just stare with this strange expression on his face, a small smile on his lips. Until he would shake his head and travel down the hallway not making eye contact with her. Neither of them said more than two words to one another. Well not until yesterday and Jet's sudden Goddamn epiphany.  
  
How could she move on? How, when it was all her fault?  
  
Faye slid down the wall her eyes opening as her backside hit the cold metal floor. She was sitting in the exact same position she had the day Spike left. The dark hallway, now only lit by the orange-yellow emergency lights, haunted her mind day in and day out.  
  
She heard a chuckle somewhere, she couldn't tell if it was in her mind or actually on the ship. Soon she found herself in the lit hallway. But it was as though her mind couldn't recall any sound. Spike was standing there, his back to her. She was standing her nails once again cutting into the flesh of her palm. Her face was contorted with anger, her eyes downcast.  
  
"So you're leaving, just like that?" the voice came across suddenly from a far off distance. It took her a second to realize it was hers. Spike stopped and turned suddenly. His mismatched eyes bore into her.  
  
"Look into my eyes, Faye." His voice was flat, emotionless. She did as he told her reluctantly, and yet again her mind shut out the sound. She could see his mouth moving and her eyes widening. He had never looked so intense, and she had never been so damned afraid. She watched as her eyes lost the fear, and regained the anger that made her so brave. Her mouth shouted the words, but there was no sound.  
  
He began to walk away again, but she tried to stop him. She had to try. She had to. Again her head lowered, her eyes set to the floor. She opened her mouth and spoke in a voice that was flat as his. And to her amazement he stopped. She raised her eyes and stared at his back, wishing he would turn. But he didn't, not even as her mouth moved with news she would only tell him. The silence in the hallway was magnified, and only broken as his boots began to walk away again. He was leaving and she couldn't stop him. She had her gun in her hand, she would shoot him. That would stop him. She raised the gun and aimed at his back. She wouldn't miss. She squeezed her free hand tight again, her nails digging further in. Tears were beginning to cloud her eyes, but that wouldn't hinder her shot. She had a deadly aim. She took a deep breath and raised the gun to the ceiling firing off all the shots. No more temptation. It was his choice, his life....his death.  
  
She threw the gun to the side and finally the sound returned as it clanged off of the walls. She had her back to the cold wall, and she slid down. Her hands found her face and she covered her eyes. She let him walk away. It was her fault. She closed her eyes tight searching her mind. She hated this hallway and why shouldn't she. What did it hold other than the memory of him leaving. Maybe she should just leave the ship. She again closed her eyes tight as she let out another muffled scream. As she racked her brains.  
  
"What are you doing out here?" Spike's amused voice rang in her hung-over head. She slowly spread the fingers of her dirt and blood encrusted hands too look at him. He smirked down at her as he leaned against the opposite wall.  
  
"What's it to you, Lunkhead?!" Faye snapped regretting it as she felt her head thump. She groaned. It had been a long night of bounty hunting which ended in her, Spike and Jet covered in mud and blood. But they had gotten the bounty and the money. And they had celebrated, probably a little too much. Now they were both waiting for Jet to get out of the shower.  
  
"You look like shit you know." Spike said lighting a cigarette as he slid down the wall himself, now mirroring her position. Faye let all but two of her fingers slide down into a fist as she smiled at Spike. He snorted out a laugh. He raised an eyebrow at her as he lifted his pack of cigarettes. Faye reached out and took one.  
  
"You don't look much better, fro-boy." She said placing the cigarette in her mouth and letting Spike light it. They both leaned back after that, knees up, toes practically touching, arms slung over their knees. They mirrored each other perfectly, as they pushed their heads against the wall and watched the smoke rise to the ceiling. They sat there in silence.  
  
"I'm on to you." Spike's voice rang out breaking the silence. Faye's eyes snapped open and her head snapped down to look down the hall. "The both of you." He said his smirk growing larger.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about now Spike?" Jet's voice came from beside Faye. She looked up and saw the balding man standing in the doorway above her.  
  
"I think he's finally lost it." Faye said rubbing the heel of her hand to her eye. She had fallen asleep in the hallway again. Ed was curled up beside her and Ein was down the hall by Spike's feet. He kicked his foot a little as a way of saying hello to the mutt.  
  
"I'm on to you." Spike said again. "We've been together for six months now. And I know what you two are up to. And it isn't going to work."  
  
"I'm lost." Faye said looking up to Jet for help. "You think he got hit on the head again?" Jet snorted out a laugh.  
  
"Probably, I mean that's what he does." Jet said lighting three cigarettes handing one down to Faye, putting one in his mouth, and holding one out to the approaching cowboy. Faye laughed and even Spike let out a chuckle.  
  
"You guys are trying to make me feel bad for going out alone." Spike said, as he slid down the wall across from Faye.  
  
"Spike tell me," Jet said looking down at the green haired man. "Since when have I started to care when you go out alone or not?" Jet snorted out a loud laugh, and Faye joined in.  
  
"You been drinking again, Spike?" Faye said through laughs.  
  
"Come on Faye. When aren't we drinking." Spike said with a chuckle. "And who are you to talk?"  
  
"Shut up Spike." Faye said putting her head back against the wall. Suddenly Ed's arms and legs shot out knocking Faye onto her side. Ed was on her back arms and legs up in the air moving as if she were crawling very fast. Jet, Spike and Faye just stared at her, as Ein sat there beside Spike his head cocked one side.  
  
"You know that kid is weird." Faye said pushing herself back up to her sitting position.  
  
"Yep." Jet said pulling the cigarette from his mouth.  
  
"Fits in perfectly here." Spike said with a smile at Ed who was still crawling upside down.  
  
"One big happy, dysfunctional family." Faye said smiling.  
  
Ein barked loudly and rolled over, his legs now moving as Ed's were. His tongue hanging lazily out of the side of his mouth. Suddenly the hallway was full of their laughter, and the smoke from their cigarettes.  
  
Faye's hands slowly slid from her face and she found herself in the darkened hallway again. A smile had found its way to her face, and she swears she could hear laughter. It got louder as she made the realization that she was in fact laughing. Her fingers traced along the smile on her face, and over the dry tearstains. She looked at the palms of her hands and marveled at all the small crescent moons of red caused by her fingernails.  
  
She pushed herself off the ground and ran her sore hands through her hair. She stared down the hallway into the darkness that she stared into so many times before.  
  
Jet had finally finished the dishes and cleaned up the mess he made earlier in the morning when he spilled rice all over the floor. He went out into the common room, the towel still over his shoulder, and walked over to the large viewing window. The computer link still open on the table, showing a couple of bounties worth looking into. He heard a clanking come into the room and saw her reflection in the window. He shook his head quickly and looked again she was sitting on the couch now, hunched over the computer screen. He turned around. She was wearing her usual outfit, accompanied by her red sweater. Her gun was sitting in the holster by the computer. Her face looked freshly washed and her hair was no longer in her face.  
  
"Looks interesting old man. When are we leaving?" Faye said still eyeing the information on the screen. Jet smirked, and looked at the small white bandages that were around her hands.  
  
"I take it you're staying?" Jet said sitting down in the chair across from her. She looked up quickly meeting his eyes and then back to the computer.  
  
"Till something better comes along." She said punching a few keys to bring up another bunch of information.  
  
"What if it doesn't?" Jet said. Faye shrugged at him. "Fine," he said standing up. "You just remember this is still my ship and if I say you're out. You're out." He limped over to the ladder leading to the bridge.  
  
"That's a chance I'll have to take I guess." Faye said lying back on to the couch and putting a cigarette in her mouth. She lit it and put her hands behind her head staring at the ceiling fan above her.  
  
"We'll be in Ganymede in twelve hours." Jet said going up to set the course.  
  
"Whatever Jet, wake me when we get there." Faye said watching the smoke circle around the fan.  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's End Note: I highly recommend hearing the song. That is all. Hope you enjoyed it. Please read and review. 


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